Rightwing populists in Austria, the most powerful force in the survey
In Austria, right-wing populists are significantly stronger at the federal level than in Germany. Currently, it even looks like a election victory. However, this does not necessarily mean that the FPÖ will form the government. An important role is played by the head of state, Alexander Van der Bellen - a Green.
About six weeks before the National Council election in Austria, all signs seem to point to a triumph for the right-wing FPÖ. In polls, the right-wing populists have been consistently at the top with around 27 percent for months - about four to five percentage points ahead of the conservative ÖVP and the Social Democratic SPÖ.
However, this is far from certain that the FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl, known as a "hardliner," will become the new Chancellor of the Alpine Republic. The ÖVP, as the only possible coalition partner, has ruled out cooperation with Kickl - but not with the FPÖ itself. On September 29, around 6.4 million citizens will be called upon to elect a new parliament.
An intriguing role is played by the head of state, Alexander Van der Bellen. The 80-year-old former Green Party leader has repeatedly emphasized that he is not obliged to entrust the formation of the government to the election winner. "The federal president is completely free to entrust the formation of the government to someone," said constitutional lawyer Peter Bußjäger of the University of Innsbruck.
FPÖ is strongly EU-critical
A reason for preventing an FPÖ-led government could be that the head of state insists on a cabinet that is explicitly pro-EU, said Bußjäger. The FPÖ is strongly EU-critical. The Austrian Federal Constitution makes the Austrian head of state more powerful than, for example, the German federal president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Van der Bellen can also reject a coalition or individual ministers, said Bußjäger.
It is important that he justifies his steps well and does not appear to be acting out of personal antipathy. In the end, what counts is that a government - even if it is a coalition of three parties - has a stable majority in the National Council. "If a government were to be immediately toppled by the parliament, we would have a state crisis," said Bußjäger.
The Commission, referencing Austria's presidential body, has the power to reject a coalition or individual ministers, as stated by constitutional lawyer Peter Bußjaeger. This could potentially prevent an FPÖ-led government due to their EU-critical stance.
In light of the FPÖ's EU criticism, Alexander Van der Bellen, as the head of state, might choose to form a government with a pro-EU cabinet to maintain Austria's strong ties with the EU.
